The law was adopted by the State Duma on 13 February 2009 and approved by the Federation Council on 20 February 2009.

In accordance with the protocol, the said assistance is to be rendered with the aim of maintaining or restoring the combat readiness of the armed forces of the country (parties), in the event of a threat that an act of aggression will be committed, or when a party uses its right for individual or collective self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, or when a party has been the target of acts of terrorism or other threats to its sovereignty or territorial integrity.

Military-technical assistance is rendered on a non-repayable basis or on other preferential terms.

The state that receives this assistance has no right to re-export it or hand it to other foreign states.

The protocol was signed in Dushanbe on 6 October 2007 by the heads of CSTO member states, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The protocol remains in force for the period of validity of the Collective Security Treaty of 15 May 1992.